021122; Dynamic Alternatives: Functionality for New SDS

Dynamic Alternatives
P.O. Box 59237
Norwalk, CA 90652
562 802 1639

November 20, 2002

04 00074 61 02112201

Mr. Rod Welch
rodwelch@pacbell.net
The Welch Company
440 Davis Court #1602
San Francisco, CA 94111 2496
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Subject:

Functionality for New SDS

Rod,

I got to thinking, which can always be dangerous, and I have a few notions as a start.

It is essential that we distinguish between elements of the SDS design that are essential and those that are accidents of the current implementation.
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Essential Features

Linking to specific locations in other records (and within the current record).

Easy access to related records.

Automatic linking based on context.

A chronological record.

Organic subject structure

Contacts for tracking people involved

Document management

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Desirable Features

Lists, bulleted and numbered

Headlines

Emphasis, bold, italic, underline

Automatic word wrapping

Spell checking

Anchors and links hidden by text? Certainly links can be placed under text if we decide to do so, but is there a reason to do so?

Information Mapping block structures including the specific and general tables.

Bulleted lists

Numbered lists

Specific tables

General tables

URL recognition and launch from them, as KeyNote does.

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Accidental Features

All issues of format -- we should feel free to change record formatting in any way we choose so long as we create routines to upgrade existing SDS records. This specifically includes fixed length fields and fixed record locations where reasonable.

DOS short file names. Do not use names with spaces, but the files do not have to be restricted to DOS (8.3) names or numbers.

Keyboard layout -- this is a losing battle.

Representation -- ASCII files are excellent, but the presentation and editing do not have to look on screen the way the file exists on disk.

Navigation within the Subject Index -- search plus a tree implementation would be far better.

All codes -- the user shouldn't have to care how subjects, records, contacts, or anything else is represented, only how they are accessed.

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Features to Remove

"Mystery meat" -- hot spots and areas that have no visible representation. This can be done as we move to graphical presentation.

Thanks,

Garold L. Johnson
dynalt@dynalt.com